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St. Louis Rams' Isaiah Pead, Daryl Richardson In Surprise Running Back Competition

Isaiah Pead and Daryl Richardson are in a surprising battle for the second spot on the depth chart at RB for the Rams.

By Chris White
Aug 25, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; St Louis Rams running back Isaiah Pead (24) runs after a catch in the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys beat the Rams 20-19. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 25, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; St Louis Rams running back Isaiah Pead (24) runs after a catch in the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys beat the Rams 20-19. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

For years upon years now, there has been absolutely no question as to who will be the No. 1 guy in the Running Back slot in the depth chart on St. Louis with the dominance of Steven Jackson. An intriguing storyline seems to be growing over the Rams in the preseason, and it's the spot right behind Jackson on the depth chart.

Second round pick Isaiah Pead was the favorite to get the spot prior to the preseason, but strong performances by seventh rounder Daryl Richardson have suddenly started to pit the two together for the backup RB position. Even Jeff Fisher doesn't seem to know who will win the spot as of the Rams last preseason game, but Turf Show Times doesn't think that the race will be won quite so easily in preseason by Richardson:

Some of the blame could certainly be directed toward less-than-stellar blocking from the front five. And though Richardson's stats last night certainly look far superior than that of the guy drafted five rounds before him, it's fair to say that there are no certainties about the depth of our roster, or who's even going to be on the final one. Personally, I'd be OK with a timeshare. Let SJAX carry the majority of the load, and let the two youngsters give a different look to the opposition.

The second running back spot isn't likely to be of particular importance to the Rams this season thanks to Josh McDaniels' preferring a pass-based offense -- the Rams two main backups last season were Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood, who had only 101 combined carries throughout the season.

For more on the St. Louis Rams as the preseason continues to roll along, head over to Turf Show Times. More news and analysis on the NFL in general can be found over at SB Nation's dedicated NFL Hub or SB Nation's YouTube channel: